By the Crofs of Chrifi. THE Method which I (hall obferve as fitteft for yourEdifi- cation in handling this Doarine is this. r. I (hall moreful- ly Chew you Negatively what it is not, and Affirmatively what it is, to have the world Crucified to us , and to be Crucified to the world. z. I (ball Phewyou, How this is wrought by the Croft of Chrifi. 3. I (hall give you the Reafons, which prove that foa t is. q. I (hall give you the Reafons why ìt mtaft be fo. 5 make application of this firft part of the Do&rine. And then handle the latter part as time (hall permit. I. Here are fewDo&rives of faith, or waies of holinefs , but have their extreams, which men will reel into from fide to fide, when fewwill confie in the Sacred mean. The pur- blind world cannot cut by fo (mall a thred, as the word of God direaeth them to do, and as all mull do that will be condu&ed into Truth: Wehave much ado to take teen off thefe vanities ; but yet when many of them are convinced and fee that the worldmutt be calf afide, they miftake the nature of holy mortifi- cation, and embrace inftead of it fome fuperftitious and cyni- call conceits; in which they are as fait bemired almoít as they were before. I (ball therefore firft tell you what is not the Cruci- fixion which we are to treate of. r. It is not to think that the world is indeed Nothing ; and that in a proper fenfe our life is but a dream : Nor yet fceptical- ly to take the being and modes of all things as uncertain : Nor to imagine that fenfe is fo far fallible, that a man of found fenfe and underftanding, may notbe lure of the obje&s conveniently prefented to his fenfe. There frill remaineth one Argument which the Scepticks were never able to confute, but will make them at any time to yield the caufe ; Even to fcourge them, as fools, till they are fur hey feel.it. But we have fewof thefe, to deal things which ft clofelyer concern the matter* of falva- tion.ihofe . z. Nor is it any part of the meanü s of this Text, that we fhould entertain a low and bale efteeer of the world or any thing 13 3 therein,
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